Love Can Heal A Soldier
by PassionatelyHiddlestoned
Summary: World War 1 is raging. Lady Sybil Crawley is working as a nurse at Downton, and James Nicholls is a captain in the army. But when James is badly injured, he is taken into care with the rest of the soldiers at Downton, and the their lives collide. Is this affection possible, or will social standing and obligations blind their growing passion for each other?
1. Chapter 1

Guns went off all around him. Men were falling, horses as well.

The smell of gunpowder and fear hung heavily in the air, and Captain James Nicholls kept charging on the back of his chestnut brown steed, Joey.

He held his glinting silver sword firmly forward, cutting the throats of any opposition that passed.

He fought the nervous feeling about the day that he had growing inside of him, pushing it away from his conscious mind. He was a soldier, and this is what soldiers did.

But he knew something would happen. He didn't know where, he didn't know when. But ever since he had yelled out the single word, 'Charge!' he had a sickening feeling that something would occur.

At least I don't have a family or a wife at home, he thought, to grieve for me…

He shook his head as he galloped on. Stop thinking this way… you have as fair a chance of getting out of this as anyone!

People whizzed by him in a blur, and the sun began to rise over the distant hills. He felt compelled to look up at the enemy gunners, to see who they were facing.

His eyes scanned the enemy attack line, crouched behind the hill at the entrance to the forest.

Suddenly, his eyes stopped on one. One gun was set directly for him.

He gulped, and his breath became rapid. This was it. This is the moment he knew was coming. And there was nothing he could do but watch the fire of the gun and feel the impact of the bullet in him.

His back hit the ground with a forceful smack, and with a soundless moan, he rolled onto his side. Horses jumped over him, and the roaring sound of hooves around him was overwhelming and echoing in his eardrums.

He clutched his side, where the bullet had gone through, and looked down at the wound.

There was blood pouring out in large quantities, and pain so unbearable running up and down his left leg that it made him cringe. His breath wheezed and he arched in pain. He held his hand against his middle to stop the blood, but he knew his actions wouldn't make a difference on his own.

He looked up at the morning sky, blue and clear now. He held his other arm above him to shield him from the trampling horses, as if it would do any good. His eyelids began to droop, and his sight began to cut out from the trauma.

Sky.

Black.

Sky.

Black.

The last thing he heard was a man yelling, but Captain Nicholls was too hurt to figure out or care if it was one of his own or the enemy. He blacked out from shock.

* * *

It was a regular day at Downton Abbey, or rather, as regular as it could get with wounded men being brought in and treated everywhere.

Lady Grantham had detested the idea of bringing strange men into their home, but Cora and Robert had welcomed it. The boys were doing so much for their country, the least they could do was provide them with a place to rest and heal.

Lady Sybil had become a nurse for the time being, volunteering to treat the soldiers. Other doctors had come to work at Downton, and now, the large place was bustling with the injured and the medical aids.

Lord Robert Grantham made his way down the stairs with Isis in close trail, putting his hat on and grabbing his walking stick.

"Good morning, dear!" Cora called from the bedside of a soldier. They each visited with a few people now and then, to keep them in good company.

"Morning!" Robert replied, and opened the door. Isis ran out before Robert could get her leash on, and he chased after her through the grass. "Isis! Here girl!" The white lab sniffed around the property, and bounded back to her master.

"Silly girl," Robert laughed as he rubbed her ears. Just then, he heard the sound of a motorcar pulling up at the gates, rolling over the gravel.

Isis turned and began barking, a sort of signal when there were new people. Robert turned, hooked Isis's leash on, and brought her back inside.

"There's new wounded!" he called to the doctors, who got up and headed for the door. He felt like he was living in a domestic M*A*S*H unit. But he had nothing against it, as fore mentioned; he was happy to help in any way he could, since he was too old now to serve.

The doctors rushed out, and went over to the black motorcar. The doors opened, and revealed five injured men. One was yelling in anguish, one was out cold, and the other two were silently coping with the pain as best they could.

"Okay, get them inside," said Dr. Clarkson, cringing from the messy wounds of the bunch. They lifted the stretchers out of the car, and carried them inside. Luckily, they found a few open beds scattered among the healing men, and quickly laid each of them down.

"Let's take a look at who these boys are," he said, and turned out the pockets of the soldiers. "Lt. Blake…. Sgt. Waters…. Cpt. Nicholls…. Alright, start treating them right away!"

Some nurses came, and each gathered around a man. Captain Nicholls was beginning to wake up, and could feel the pain still shooting up his leg.

Am I… still alive? He wondered to himself.

Judging by the sound of people around him, he came to the conclusion that he was quite alive. He squeezed his eyes shut as the pain heightened, and felt tears form in his sapphire blue eyes. He quickly shut them again; he would not be seen like this, not him, a captain of his rank.

But he gave up trying to hide his stabbing injury, since everyone here was in the same situation; wounded and temporarily rather helpless.

He let out a short breath and wiped the sweat from his hairline, short golden hair combed back not-so-neatly anymore. His bed was rolled to a private wing dedicated to the higher officers, where there were sheets draped in between the beds for privacy. As his bed stopped, the doctors by his side quickly wrapped his middle with a thick layer of gauze, much to his escalating discomfort.

His stomach muscles tensed as the bed finally stopped moving, and he could faintly feel more blood oozing out into the wrap. He clenched his fists, and gritted his teeth in attempt to fight the pain.

He was fading in and out as he saw the shadow of a nurse behind the sheet to his wing, and the woman came over beside his bed.

"Shhh, Captain," she whispered, "Relax now. I'm going to take care of you."

Somehow, her voice reassured him to the point of lulling. Her gentle tone soothed him, and he relaxed against the pillow behind his head. He felt her hand on his forearm, silently telling him that everything was going to be okay.

He opened his eyes just enough to see who this woman was. She had chocolate brown hair tied back behind her white nurse's cap, and eyes a radiating green. Her skin was a creamy colour, and James's lips twitched into a smile.

"I'm Nurse Sybil," she said softly, not wanting to raise her voice and hurt his trauma inflicted ears. "I- I'm James," he said, "James Nicholls." She sat down beside the bed. "You have severe damage to your left oblique muscle, Captain Nicholls, as you were shot through it. If you had been left any longer without blood stopping, you would have most likely died."

He looked at her. "I can't thank you enough for what you've done, and, what you're doing." She smiled, and shook her head. "It is not your duty to thank me. This is what I do, this is what _we_ do, to repay brave men like you who fight for us." James just smiled in return, but was hit with another spasm of pain in his leg.

Sybil's face became worried. "You must sleep now, and rest your muscles. If you need anything, there is always someone around." James nodded another soft thank you, and laid his head to the side.

As Sybil turned away from the captain, she bit her lip. As she blinked, all she could see in her closed eyelids was the reflection of his sea blue eyes, staring back at her. She closed the sheet of his wing, and hurried to the next patient. She scolded herself, and forbade her mind to wander back to the new soldier under their care.

But as hard as she tried, her thoughts kept drifting back to his perfectly sculpted jaw, his masculine hands, the rich golden colour of his hair…

Sybil didn't know it, but James was also thinking about the encounter, and the obvious attraction between them. James tried as well to force the thoughts out of his tired mind, in fear of what it would mean for the young woman in her family… but he also knew feelings like these could not be stopped. He knew this was only the beginning.

And at the back of her mind, so did Sybil.


	2. Chapter 2

It was late at night, or early in the morning as some may classify it, and James was having another nightmare. It had been 3 days since he had been taken into care at Downton, and every single night, he had had ritualistic dreams of the close call on the battlefield that landed him here.

He woke up in a cold sweat, hair matted against his forehead. He felt sharp pains down his side, and knew he would have to change the bandage before it was completely soiled. It was exactly 2:39 in the morning, and there were no nurses on duty. I don't need assistance, James thought to himself as he pulled back his covers to check his wound, I'm perfectly capable.

The fire illuminated his sight just enough to see what he was doing. He grimaced at the sight of fresh blood seeping through his binding, but just unravelled it like he knew exactly what he was doing. He tried not to cry out in fear of waking other peacefully sleeping patients, so he bit his tongue as the older, dried blood clung to the bandage. He second guessed himself. Maybe he shouldn't take it off. I mean, what would he do, apply a new one?

He sighed. He'd seen it done by other nurses, so surely he could do it himself, and wouldn't have to bother anyone about it. He gently tore the bandage free, and had to grip the side of the bed tightly to hold back a groan. Suddenly, he heard someone descending down the stairs, and quickly looked up.

It was Sybil, and she still had her nurse uniform on. She noticed that he was awake, and came over. "Why are you still awake?" He asked her, brows knitting. She raised an eyebrow as she sat beside him. "I could ask the same of you," she chuckled, and he smiled. "I just… find it troublesome to go a night without having upsetting dreams." Her smile disappeared. "What about?" He shifted uncomfortably, and she immediately apologized. "I'm so sorry, sir. It wasn't my place-"

James quickly reassured her. "No, no. It's just my damn leg. No, I don't mind. My nightmares are about my near-death experience a few days ago." Sybil looked at him. "A reasonable subject of upset." He laughed quietly. "Yes, I suppose so. I just can't help thinking… what if the bullet had hit its target? What if this had been fatal? And even worse… what if it still could be fatal?"

"Now, don't you dare think like that, Captain. We'll let nothing happen to you_. I'll_ let nothing happen to you." James melted at the sincerity of her words, and the worry disappeared for a moment. "Please," he whispered, "Call me James." She gave a small smile. "Alright… Captain."

He chuckled, and she looked down at his leg. "Have you been tampering around with your bandage?!" He looked at her sheepishly, and she sighed playfully. "What do you think you are, a self-professed doctor? You seem like the kind of man who refuses to accept help unless it is life-threateningly needed!" James smiled. "It seems you've got me spot-on."

"Well, there'll be no more of that here. Make sure you call me when you need a change of bandage, or anything of the sort." James nodded slowly, and thanked her graciously. She got a cool cloth, and softly dabbed it along his forehead, drying his sweat. She felt sympathy toward him, and his whole situation. She could tell it pained him to be so helpless, that he wasn't used to it.

She competently changed his bandage, and pulled the blanket over him again. "Try not to think of anything, Captain," she said quietly as he laid back down against the pillow, "Just go to sleep."

He nodded, and thanked her once again. But as she left and he closed his eyes, he _was_ thinking of something. The astonishing fact that this beautiful, kind woman had bewitched his heart, and in such little time.

* * *

The next day was just as brilliantly sunny as the past few. It seemed that they were getting a spree of good weather, seeing as it was only late April. Sybil woke to the familiar sound of sparrows tweeting outside, and got out of bed to open the curtains. There was a knock at the door.

"Come in," she smiled, and Cora came through the big doors. "Oh, Mama! Gorgeous day, isn't it?" Sybil asked, and Cora nodded as she sat on the edge of the bed. "Any new soldiers today?" she asked. "No, but the ones we do have are a handful," Cora answered.

"Why do you say that?" "Well, they are quite talkative. Your sister has taken to visiting some of them, to keep them company." "Who, Mary?" "No, Edith. She likes one in particular, this… Lt. Waverly." Sybil breathed a sigh of relief that it wasn't James who her sister had taken such interest in.

"But the wounds are getting worse as the war goes on," her mother said thoughtfully, "Have you seen them? And that Captain Nicholls-" Sybil's head shot up at the mention of him, "He's got quite a nasty one. Looks like he'll be here for a while." Sybil nodded slowly, "Yes."

Downstairs, James was occupying himself with a book out of the small pile that had been provided for entertainment. He was quite fond of gothic ghost stories, and was presently engulfed in "The Turn of the Screw."

"It's a good book, isn't it?" A voice said from behind the curtain. James looked up and smiled as he recognized the voice. "It is." Sybil pulled the curtain back and sat on James bed as she had grown to enjoy. "How is your leg feeling?" "It still hurts quite a lot." "Of course. Sorry, that was a silly question." He took a deep breath, and put his hand on top of hers.

"Nothing you say is silly, Miss Sybil." She blushed deeply and turned away. "I'll leave you t-to, um, read then, Captain," she said, nervous and smiling at his touch. She got up, and gave him one last smile before she left. James bit his lip. Does she feel the same about me? he wondered. Am I making a fool of myself?

The day was spent regularly, nurses tending to patients, Robert reading the paper and Cora sipping tea, Lady Mary occasionally dropping by to see what was happening with the soldiers.

As quickly as it had gone, night came again, and James was dreading it. He was tired, and dark circles had begun to form under his eyes from lack of sleep. It was the nightmares keeping him up, he couldn't shake them. The only light in his life, he thought, was the privilege of seeing Lady Sybil every day, and talking with her.

Sybil was growing worried about James. He looked awfully exhausted, and his leg wasn't healing very well. She wished there was something more she could do for the kind man, who had shown her so much affection…

She clenched her jaw at the thought. She must be mistaken. It was simply the fancies of her own imagination that were tricking her to believe he felt for her. But why did he look at her that way, then?

It was late evening when Sybil came for another visit, and all the other nurses had gone to bed. James had finished the book, and had moved on to the next. "Good evening, Captain," she said, and went to change his blankets. "Good evening, Miss Sybil." There was a silence then, which was unusual for them.

"I have something I need…. I need to tell you something," James said, voice cracking slightly at the end. She turned slowly, and sat. "Yes?"

James studied her features, the way her eyebrows curved softly, her lips rosy in the firelight. "I…" Instead of finishing his sentence, he gave in to an overwhelming urge against all of his better judgement, and leaned in and kissed her. Her eyes widened, and everything went rushing through her mind. She worried that someone was watching, that James would be sent away, at how wrong what they were doing was… but the thing that scared her the most was the frighteningly scandalous thoughts she was getting about James, of him holding her as they kissed like this….

She broke away from the kiss roughly, at a loss for words. "I… I should go now," she whispered, and quickly got up and left James in a swirl of love, lust, and strong guilty feelings.

Sybil hurried up the stairs, tears beginning to form in her eyes. She had never felt like this before, about anyone. But it wasn't right! What she just did was incredibly improper, and her head was spinning from it. But she still felt something from it. Her own feelings frustrated her. She didn't know what to think, what to feel…

James was reeling downstairs, surprised beyond belief at his inappropriate act, and extremely guilty at what he had just gotten Sybil into. He cursed himself for not containing his lewd behavior, and squeezed his eyes shut. What would happen now?

* * *

Thoughts floated around like petals in a whirlpool that night, and Sybil was up pacing in her room. She was sure that hers was the only light left on, but she was unable to sleep due to her internal conflict. She knew she loved him. It was undeniable. And now, it was quite evident that James loved her too. How could such a scandalous situation have come about in the length of one night?

The temperature in her room felt unnaturally high, and she fanned herself with her hand.

Suddenly, she heard a cry from downstairs. Immediately, thoughts of the worst came to her, and she grabbed her white uniform to cover her sleeping garments. She rushed down the stairs, and to her horror, she found James writhing in his bed, curtains pulled.

"What is it? What is it?" Sybil breathed, running to his side. Blood was all over the covers and bed, and he was covered in sweat. "James?" her voice wavered as she watched him grit his teeth and suppress screams of agony. She checked him, and realized his wounds were bleeding internally, and the whole wounded side of his body from his oblique to his knee was bruised under the skin. This is what she had feared might happen, and she began frantically preparing something for it.

"S-Sybil?" he hoarsely whispered, "I c-can't feel my leg!"


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hello everyone! There is some smut in this chapter (yay for those of you who were hoping for it soon) but I have included a smut warning before and after the descriptive scene, because I wouldn't want to offend any of my lovely readers! P.s. I kept worrying if you would think it's too soon for smut to happen, but keep in mind if you do that they have had over a month of feelings for each other. Thank you all so much :) **

It had been six weeks since James had lost all use of his leg.

It had been extremely difficult at first, for James of course, but for Sybil as well, who had to tell him that there was only a slim possibility that he would walk without assistance again.

"_But…" he had gulped, "I, I, I'm obligated to return! I'm still in the army, I still have my duty, my honour to protect-"_

"_James," Sybil had hushed, "Duty is the last thing you need to be worrying about right now," she had continued on quietly, "And if you ask me, what you've endured already has made you a far more honourable man than what you could have done otherwise." _

James had accepted this, or rather, as much as he could handle. He used the wooden crutch, even though it pained him and made him flush with embarrassment whenever he had to practice walking. He would curse the thing, alone at night, curse the war for bringing this upon him, and then the anger would wash away, and leave him with nothing but cold, hard sadness.

He yearned to feel like he belonged somewhere, not just a burden to a hospital. He wanted to feel like… he mattered to someone. But he knew he did, really. Sybil helped him all the way through this. She was the one that took long walks with him in the garden every day, practiced walking on the one leg with the crutch, and she was the only person James could feel vulnerable around. They had gotten to know every little thing about one another over the time spent together.

It was early in the morning, and the birds had just begun to chirp. This is when Sybil liked to take walks with James, when there was no one around to disturb the peaceful silence of the nice walk around the grounds.

James recalled all of this as he and Sybil walked, Sybil's arm through his, other steady on his shoulder. Sybil was wearing a pale purple daytime gown.

"What are you thinking about so intently, James?" she asked with a smile.

James looked over, awakened from his daydream. "Oh, nothing. Just… remembering everything that has happened in the past few weeks." Sybil squeezed his shoulder softly. "You mustn't still your head in the past. Think of all the wonderful things to come."

James chuckled, disheartened. "Like what? Isn't my life more or less over? Without the use of my leg, what am I to the world, really?" Sybil stopped him. "Now see here, Captain Nicholls. I'll have no more of your pity party, am I understood?" she asked playfully.

A smile graced his concerned features, and his laugh lines returned as he nodded. "Forgive me… I tend to be a miserable old bloke when I'm out of sorts." They continued walking as Sybil ran her hand down his arm. "You know I'm only fooling about with you, James… you have every right to feel the way you do. But you know you don't need to put on a great show of emotional strength around me anymore, I've known you far too long for that."

He smiled. "I know. I'm in impeccable company." The two burst into frivolous laughter.

Up in the bedroom window, Cora watched the two walking down the pathway, Sybil occasionally stopping to steady James and tend to his balance.

"Robert," Cora commented thoughtfully, "Haven't you seen that Nicholls man with Sybil a lot lately?" Lord Grantham looked up from the bed, fastening his dressing gown and walking over to join her. "Yes," he said, "Now that you mention it, I have." Cora stood watching them, and Robert turned to her.

"But it's nothing more than Sybil's nursing obligations, Cora," he continued passively. Cora raised an eyebrow, and gestured down to the spectacle of the two laughing and brushing hands. Robert sighed, but shook his head. "Once that captain gets better, he goes back to the front." Cora raised her eyebrows. "He's lost the use of one leg, I sincerely doubt that he'll be returning any time soon. How could you be so unfeeling?"

Robert's face softened a little, and he took his wife's hand in his, bringing it up to his lips. "I'm sorry, my dear. I think the boy is brave, I do. I know I tend to get a little… touchy when it comes to the social engagements of our youngest." Cora smiled back teasingly. "And you don't with Edith or Mary?" Robert scoffed a little, inspiring a laugh from Cora. "Mary? Good god, she could take care of herself any day."

Cora looked up. "So could Sybil." Robert stayed silent. "Robert, she's a grown woman now, you mustn't forget that." Robert nodded shortly, and Cora continued. "James seems like a pleasant fellow-" "Look, I refuse to discuss the possibility of anything going on between them at present. They're going for a morning walk, for goodness sake, and you can already hear the wedding bells?" "Robert, that's not what I-"

Without letting her finish, he turned to go downstairs. Cora sighed in frustration at her husband's inability to let go of their daughter's innocence. Yes, she had her worries, but she trusted Sybil to make the proper judgements, all the same. Something Robert needed to learn to do.

She continued to study the attraction between her daughter and James, and smiled as she remembered her young love with Robert the same way.

Down in the gardens, when they had made it around the side of the estate and they were shaded by a protective birch tree where no one could see them, James sat down on the bench with her.

"Lady Sybil," he said, taking her hand. Sybil laughed. "Oh, this sounds quite serious indeed, if you're starting it with a 'Lady.'" James smiled along with her, blue eyes shining in the morning sun. "Sybil," he said again, looking down, "I've been meaning to talk to you about something. I feel it needs to be addressed, and accounted for." Sybil listened in, guessing at the back of her mind what this was about.

"That day…" James started, "I believe it was a month ago. I… I did something that was…my…" he cleared his throat, cheeks beginning to turn pink. He was beginning to fiddle with his buttons. "My actions with you were extremely inappropriate, and I apologize unreservedly for it and everything I may have caused you since then." He finished, exhaling.

Sybil looked down, and thought about what he was referring to.

The kiss.

She hadn't mentioned it since; but there wasn't a day she hadn't thought about it. Tried to relive it, over and over again in her head.

She brought her hand upon James', and he looked at her, sucking his bottom lip. "I really am sorry," he whispered.

"I'm not," she whispered back, and brought her lips to his in spontaneity.

James' eyes widened, but closed once more as he felt her sweet lips against his, his eyebrows furrowing in aspiration. Her lips explored his cautiously, still unsure of what they were doing, but knowing for certain that this is what she wanted.

Passion burned between them as James' hand went to the back of Sybil's head, and they continued the loving kiss, Sybil's arm wrapped about his neck gingerly. After a few seconds, they parted, heaving for air. James opened his eyes, and Sybil gazed into them.

James swallowed. "Are you sure about this? Are you sure you, f-feel this way about me? That you want me," he cleared his throat, "In this way?"

Sybil felt every moral fibre in her head screaming at her, screaming to forget all of this ever happened, and never look back. But she knew that if she did that, she would never forgive herself, that in her heart that she wanted more of James. She wanted to be with him, as long as she was living. The feeling scared her, but in addition, she felt nothing less than excitement course through her veins as she relished the taste of James' lips on hers.

"Yes," she said simply, smiling. James smiled back, overjoyed that she felt the way he did. They sat back in the chair as they enjoyed each other's company in the summer heat.

* * *

Later that evening, when James was back in bed, everyone had retired to their rooms for the night, and Sybil was the last nurse out, James the last soldier awake.

They were talking about different things, about what they had done before their lives had conjoined. It was very late indeed when the fire in the spacious room began to burn out.

"James," Sybil whispered, taking his hand as he turned his head to her. He had to take a moment to simply marvel at how beautiful she looked in the glow of the dying fire; Her hair pulled to the side with her lips slightly parted in anticipation for James to answer.

He smiled. "Mm?" She looked at him, but did not smile back. This was not because of detestation- she looked at him differently that night. She stared long and hard at him, summing everything that had happened between them in the past month and a while. She finally leaned in to his ear. "Let us finish what we started earlier." James' lower lip quivered slightly. "Are you-" "I'm sure. Follow me, my love."

She helped James out of bed, supporting him with a grip on his shoulder, and the two gradually made it to the staircase. James looked around to make sure nobody was awake, and followed with Sybil up the staircase. "Slowly now," she whispered, "Don't hurt yourself prematurely." He looked at her, an un-poisoned mixture of lust and love evident in his eyes.

"Take me upstairs, James… I wish to be with you desperately," she whispered, and the tone of her hushed voice sent James reeling. They reached the top, and crept to Sybil's room, the air of danger and risk setting an exciting mood.

Sybil closed the door quietly to her room, where a single candle had been left burning from the earlier evening. She rejoined James, and he began to gently patter his fingers against her collarbone, sending chills through Sybil. "Your leg," she started, but he broke off her concerns with a caress against the sweetest spot behind her ear.

"J-James," she breathed, feeling his breath hot against her neck. "Please call me Jim," he mumbled into her hair. Sybil head back a moan as she nodded against his chest. "Jim… take me away, Jim… somewhere I've never been before…"

James let out a low groan at her words, and connected their lips in a deep, passionate kiss.

***SMUT AHEAD***

His lips tentatively explored hers, tasting every inch of yearning desire within her embrace. He brought his hand lower, sliding it down the small of her back as he untied the laces of her dress. "Yes… rid me of this awful thing," she whispered, and James chuckled. "You're beautiful, you're kind, you're daring… what more could the perfect woman be?" She sighed into his neck as he began to undo the laces of her corset, slowly and teasingly.

"Please… take no ceremony in this, I need you," she whispered. He did as she requested, and removed the corset quickly but gingerly from her body. The sight of her was truly breathtaking, and his breath hitched as she led him closer to the canopy bed, all the while removing her undergarments. "Oh dear lord above, Sybil," he mumbled, eyelids drooping in lust as she sent him an undeniably seductive look.

He wrapped his arms around her as he joined her on the bed, James caressing her bare chest as she worked on the buttons of his sleeping shirt.

Once she had gotten it off, she ran her hands over his deliciously smooth, well-built chest, lean muscles of his arms defined and flexing as he gripped her waist gently. His hands ran lovingly over her shoulders, and he brought his talented lips down to her stomach, trailing up from there in between her breasts, to her neck, and back to her lips.

Once his trousers were off as well, she moaned at the sight of all of him, taking in his natural beauty. "My dear," James swallowed apologetically, "I'm afraid if I wait any longer, I may- " "Shh," she said against his lips as she tugged his body down overtop of hers, "Give me your love, James… tonight, forever…"

He did not need any more encouragement, and propping himself up on his arms on either side of Sybil, began to slowly enter her, inch by inch. She gasped out, and he quickly stopped moving. "What is it? Am I hurting you? My darling, what have I done?" She managed out a smile in the midst of the immense pleasure he was bringing her. "Y-you're doing nothing wrong, James… keep going, I beg of you."

He smiled, relieved, and continued to push in, until he was fully received. He waited for a moment, letting her adjust like a gentlemen, and when she moaned to signify she was ready for his movements, he began.

His thrusting was soft, slow, and tantalizingly pleasurable. He hit a spot deep within her that she didn't know existed, and she cried out. James saw the look of pleasure upon her face, so did not stop this time.

"My love, my beauty," he gasped as he felt her all around him, "Oh, just like that, S-Sybil, that feels amazing…" She dug her fingernails into his back as he continued his thrusts, their hips meeting in the middle every time.

"Forgive me, my love, but I fear I may not be able to-" His breath caught as she brought his lips to his neck, "Last, m-much longer, dearest…" "Wait…wait," she whispered, signifying James to stop. He withdrew fully, and she guided his hand to the source of her need. James gasped in pleasure, and stuttered slightly as he felt how moist she was for him.

"Use your fingers, my darling," she breathed. "Use your fingers to please me." He gulped, but tried with a single finger. He saw her eyelids flutter at the blissful contact, and encouraged by this, he continued. She gasped into his chest as he brought her close, and she took his wrist as she felt herself on the edge.

"Now, Jim…. Make me yours again," she whispered. He brought himself to her again, and she matched his movements as they both worked toward their quickly-approaching release. "James…." She whispered. "Sybil…" he reciprocated, kissing her one last time before they both came undone together. Time seemed to slow as the two felt pleasure burst between them, envelop them, bring them closer together. Sybil felt her love for him explode in the moment, and her name fell from James' lips like a breath.

***SMUT FINISHED* **

When their heaving bodies had relaxed from the contact and heat burning between them, James kissed the side of her face lovingly.

"I…I believe I love you," he whispered, and Sybil nuzzled her head deep into the crook of his arm with a smile.

When the afterglow had finally faded, they both knew they had to get James back to his bed downstairs, so nobody would know of their late night exploit. They got dressed again, and James pulled her to him in another kiss. "Goodnight, my Sybil," he whispered against her lips, and she opened the door for him.

"Do you need my help getting down the stairs?" she whispered after him in apprehension, and he shook his head gratefully. "I can lean on the banister. Stay there, fall into a deep sleep and dream of us, my sweet." An uncontrollably wide smile graced her features. "Goodnight Jim."

James descended the steps carefully, using the banister as his other leg support, and blissfully unaware that the whole parting at Sybil's bedroom door had been observed.

For there, at the end of the hallway, standing silent and surprised and carrying a basket of linen, was Ms. O'brien.


End file.
